When you think of “salad”- traditionally it consists of fresh lettuce & greens with assorted garden vegetables, fruits, toppings and a dressing. Salads can be a side dish or a main entrée. During the summer there is an endless supply of fresh greens, veggies and fruits in season available at grocery stores, farm markets and even your home garden! But what about winter?
Absolutely! You can enjoy a variety of great salads all year long. Yes, you can find summer fruits and vegetables at grocery stores during the winter but there can be quality issues (not as appetizing or tasty) and they can be very costly. So for winter salads focus on hearty greens, late harvest vegetables & fruits that have a long storage life and pantry items. Salads are not just lettuce and greens! There are tons of great recipes featuring fresh brussel sprouts, beets, squash, broccoli, cabbage, carrots, onions and more.
Examples of Winter Salad Ingredients:
Winter Vegetables: spinach, kale, beets, squashes, brussels sprouts, broccoli, cauliflower, carrots, parsnips, turnips, cabbage, garlic, onions
Winter Fruits: apples, pears, cranberries, citrus (grapefruits, oranges), pomegranate, figs, dried fruits (cranberries, raisins, cherries), canned fruits like mandarin oranges
Pantry Items: olives, nuts (almonds, cashews, pecans, walnuts), seeds (pumpkin, sunflower, sesame), chinese noodles, ramen, oils (olive, sesame, avocado), vinegars (balsamic, red wine), maple syrup, honey
Winter Cheeses: Bleu, Roquefort, Gorganzola, Parmesan, Goat, Feta
Check out the Lorain Public Library System’s pre-recorded video “Winter Salads”. In the video, I prepare a Winter Pear Salad with Dried Cranberries, Sugared Pecans and Maple Balsamic Dressing. This is a great salad that I have used during winter months as a first course for nice dinners or as an entrée salad for luncheons. To make this salad an entrée, simply make a larger salad on a dinner plate or large bowl and top the salad with a marinated grilled chicken breast or baked salmon. The Maple Balsamic Dressing makes a great marinade as well for meats and fish! See recipe below!
Winter Pear Salad with Maple Balsamic Dressing
Ingredients
1-2 cups Mixed Greens of Choice (kale, spinach, romaine, green leaf)
6 Grape Tomatoes, halved
¼ Seedless Cucumber, slices
¼ Red Onion, sliced
1 Fresh Pear (Bartlett or Anjou), sliced
¼ cup Dried Cranberries
¼ cup Candied Pecans
¼ Cup Shredded Parmesan Cheese
2-3oz Maple Balsamic Dressing (recipe below)
Directions
- Layer mixed greens in bowl or on a plate
- Top greens with tomatoes and cucumber
- Sprinkle cranberries, pecans and cheese on top of vegetables
- Arrange sliced red onion and pear sliced on top of salad
- Serve dressing on the side or drizzle on salad and toss . Enjoy!
Maple Balsamic Dressing
½ cup Balsamic Vinegar
1 cup Olive Oil
¼ cup Maple Syrup
2 tsp Dijon Mustard
1 clove fresh garlic
Salt & Pepper to taste
Combine all ingredients in blender or food processor. Mix on high until well-blended (approx. 2 minutes). Dressing can be stored in mason jar or air-tight container and refrigerated for up to 3 days.
There are endless great salad recipes available on the internet and in our library! Check out the following books available in our cooking and cookbook section:
Show Up for Salad by Terry Hope Romero
Eat Greens by Barbara Scott-Goodmand & Liz Trovato
Saladish by Ilene Rosen with Donna Gelb
Lunchbox Salads by Naomi Twigden & Anna Pinder
LPLS Recommends 